Re-Contouring a barrel

Wires

:) Sorry, no secret. Those are just the wires to a 35P chronograph. They do look like they are coming out of the barrel but if you look, you can see the chronograph unit just past the rest. This bench is about 15 feet from the lathe. Shooting out the back of the shop, we can shoot 100 yards. Makes it real handy. The regular range goes out to 600 yards but it is about 1/2 mile away.

But we do have some interesting tuners on our match rifles.
 
Al,
Look a little closer. they aren't coming out of the muzzle. I would guess that they are running from 3 sky screens to an Oehler 35, or were you just kidding?
 
Lynn

Nope, you still can't turn all the way to the end of the barrel. The Dog is clamped around it. The barrel was set up in the chuck and a shallow countersink drilled in each end; sort of a 45 degree opening up of the bore if you can picture that. Then the dead center is put in the chuck. Picture a rod sticking out of the chuck with a 45 degree point on it. The barrel is then placed against this point in the chuck and another like it in the tailstock and the tailstock is tightened up against it to hold the barrel in place. Now, it is held in place but there is nothing to make the barrel spin when the chuck goes around other than a bit of friction against the point. It would stop immediately when the cutting tool hit steel. So the dog is there to catch against a jaw of the chuck and make the barrel turn. This setup is handy if you want to be able to setup, turn some on the item, take it out of the lathe to try fit, measure, etc. You can then put it back into the lathe between the centers and it will again be centered up and ready to cut on again. This only works when cutting on the outside of an item like a bar or a barrel. Again, the point in the chuck is a "dead center" because it turns with the chuck and the barrel. The point in the tailstock is a "live center" ie, it turns on a ball bearing.
Make some sense now?

Joe
 
Joe Duke said:
:) Sorry, no secret. Those are just the wires to a 35P chronograph. They do look like they are coming out of the barrel but if you look, you can see the chronograph unit just past the rest. This bench is about 15 feet from the lathe. Shooting out the back of the shop, we can shoot 100 yards. Makes it real handy. The regular range goes out to 600 yards but it is about 1/2 mile away.

But we do have some interesting tuners on our match rifles.
Click to expand...


Just jokin' wit'cha, I'm famous for taking pix of folks with trees growing out of their heads and stuff ;)

LOL


al
 
Some more pics

Here is a picture of the barrel with the drive dog still attached.
http://usera.ImageCave.com/jeduke43/drivedog.jpg

Here is looking thru the chronograph. The shop is about 40' by 60'. Just open the back door and shoot. Sometimes have to let the deer get out of the way.
http://usera.ImageCave.com/jeduke43/chrono.jpg
Second picture thru the chrono.
http://usera.ImageCave.com/jeduke43/chrono002.jpg

Some of the equipment in Sam's shop. Foreground is a Nova 12x40 lathe.
Sam is by his Grizzly lathe. In the background is the Jet Mill. Just to the left would be the reloading bench and to the right would be the shooting bench. Spots on the pic are dust on the lens.
http://usera.ImageCave.com/jeduke43/shop002.jpg
 
To answer your original question, I think most would do it and I suspect if you know who made the original blank they would be even more inclined to do it. The two barrel makers I know both have hydraulic tracer lathes and they just fit a pattern in and it follows the guides. They finish up with a spinner on a belt grinder.

As for accuracy- how do you think they make sporter barrels to begin with?? (other than hammer forged) they contour them on a tracer lathe. A button barrel is rifled BEFORE contouring and a cut rifled barrel, usually after. As long as they don't try to make too big of a cut, it shouldn't hurt a thing. The fact that it has been fired has no bearing on it (unless it has been on a machine gun and heated high enough to affect the stress treating).

As to whether it is cost effective or not??? I have no idea what they would charge. I will ask next time I am in Danny's shop.
 
Thanks Slugger...I would be interested in having several barrels contoured if the price was cheap enough...


Eddie in Texas
 
Taper Attachment

Eddie,
The South Bend that I just got in has a taper attachment. I just got power to it Wed. As soon as I get the lathe leveled and the live center gets here you are welcome to come over and try the taper attachment on your barrel, if you are not in too big a hurry.

Dan

"Where are we going and why am I in this basket?"
 
Thanks for the offer...Dan...I need to come by and see it and discuss some different set-ups for chambering a barrel...
 
Eddie,
You and Dan will have fun contouring barrels. I don't believe the taper attachment has enough travel for a barrel.
Shilen uses a CNC lathe to do their contouring.
Butch
 
Barrel

To all you guys who are interested I talked to Jim at Hart and was quoted $30.00 to return a Max Heavy Varmint taper to a Rem 600 contour.
Nick
 
I don't think you can beat that price. I certainly wouldn't contour one for $30.
 
NickLoy....I sent an e-mail to Hart Barrel Company...they weren't clear on whether they would re-contour a barrel...but they would NOT re-contour any barrel that was not theirs... "HART Barrels" only..???
 
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